Farmer to receive Wellesley's top alumnae recognition

Diana Farmer, chair and Pearl Stamps Stewart Professor in the UC Davis Department of Surgery and surgeon-in-chief of UC Davis Children’s Hospital, has been selected to receive a 2013 Alumnae Achievement Award from Wellesley College.

Diana Farmer

A 1977 Wellesley graduate with bachelor’s degrees in molecular and marine biology, Farmer is one of four Alumnae Achievement Award recipients who will be honored at a formal reception in Wellesley, Mass., on Feb. 28, 2013.

“Dr. Farmer is clearly one of our distinguished graduates,” said Karen Williamson, president of the Wellesley College Alumnae Association. “Her pioneering work in neonatal surgery and the example she sets are an inspiration for our students. She personifies qualities we seek for this highly selective recognition.”

Farmer is the world’s first female fetal surgeon and a widely recognized expert in the surgical repair of life-threatening congenital anomalies in infants and children. She has made important contributions to the fields of fetal and neonatal surgery, including a landmark study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of fetal surgery to treat spina bifida. She is currently researching stem cell therapy for the repair of damaged neural tissue in spina bifida patients.

Farmer is the second American woman to be inducted as a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. She is also a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, one of the highest honors in medicine in the U.S. Before arriving at UC Davis, she was chief of pediatric surgery, vice chair of surgery and professor of surgery, pediatrics, and obstetrics-gynecology and reproductive sciences at UC San Francisco and surgeon-in-chief of the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital.

UC Davis Health System is improving lives and transforming health care by providing excellent patient care, conducting groundbreaking research, fostering innovative, interprofessional education, and creating dynamic, productive partnerships with the community. The academic health system includes one of the country's best medical schools, a 619-bed acute-care teaching hospital, a 1000-member physician's practice group and the new Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing. It is home to a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, an international neurodevelopmental institute, a stem cell institute and a comprehensive children's hospital. Other nationally prominent centers focus on advancing telemedicine, improving vascular care, eliminating health disparities and translating research findings into new treatments for patients. Together, they make UC Davis a hub of innovation that is transforming health for all. For more information, visit healthsystem.ucdavis.edu.